Construction of ships



(No Modell) A. P. BLIVEN.

CONSTRUCTION OP SHIPS.

Patented Jan. 30, 1883.

[NVEIVTOR www UNITED STATES PATENT tric.

'ALONZO P. BLivnN, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y., AssreNoR To THE AMEMUN QnioxTRANSIT sTEAMsHIP OOMPANY, or BOSTON, ivrAssAOrrUsnTTs.

CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,213, dated January80, 1888.

Application filed February l5, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO l?. BLIVEN, acitizen ofthe United States, residing-at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in theConstruction ot' Ships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the external form or model ot' the vessel withregard to the passage through and over the water, to its constructionwith regard to strength, and to the arrangementoi' its internal partsand accessories with reference to the convenience and safety ofthepassengers and freight.

The accompanying drawings show a large steam-vessel; but theinvention,either wholly or in part, is equally applicable tosailing-vessels and small boats.

Fignrelis an external longitudinal elevation of a ship built accordingto my said invention. Fig. 2 is an invertedplan ofthe same, and Fig. 3is an internal elevation made to show the arrangement of thelongitudinal arches and braces. Fig. 4 is a midship section of the shipon an enlarged scale.

The midship section c b, from the keel to the main deck c at about theload water-line, is angular in form, so that the deck and the two partsof the bottom constitute a triangular tigure, of which the three sidesmutually brace and sustain each other. A circular section -oiers butlittle resistance to external force on either side, and tends tocollapse by its own weight. A rectangular figure yields readily todiagonal forces that open one set of opposite angles and close the"other, the amount of the resistance being measured simply by thestrength of thejoint. In a triangular figure, however, all the partsmutually tie and brace each other in resistance to any force short ot'actual destruction.

In theship illustrated in the drawings each of the three sides of theself-sustaining gure of the immersed portion of` the hull derivesadditional strength from the slight curvature of the deck and the twoparts of the bottom. Above the main deck the slides ot the vessel areextended in aform approximating a quarter Y of a circle, d d, that aremerged together at the middle in a slightly convex crown, that forms aspar-deck of about one-half the width or' the vessel. In a hull,therefore, .which is m'ade with a triangular immersed body builtcontinuous with an arched crown and extendingthe whole length ot' thevessel, there is inherent strength in the form alone, independent ot'the special bracing that is ordinarily required to correct the defectsot' weakness inherent in forms of ordinary construction. In addition tothe strength arisingt'rom this form ot' transverse section, it affordsto a vessel great stability. In a circular section with the center ofgravity in the middle of the section the center of displacement is alsoin the middle at any inclination, and there is no tendency due to theshape of the section itself by which a vessel so formed will retain orreturn to an upright- -position. It has no stability. It may be rolledreadily to either side and will have no tendency to recover. Withthe-form'ot1 section shown in the drawings, however, a force that heelsa vessel over lifts the emerging side with an increased leverage ot'weight and depresses the immersed side opposite against an increasedleverage ofbuoyancy, so thatit meets with an increasingresistance fromboth sources, which, on the removal of the disturbing force, causes thevessel to right itself immediately, without regard, within reasonablelimits, to ballast or anything other than the form alone ot' the midshipsection. Other peculiarities of this form of section are that the largerpart ot' -the displacement is at the surface oi' the water,

where the pressure and resistance to motion is least; that thevariations of the water-line at the load-lines are less than with anyordinary form of equal section, and that the sta` bility due to the formof section is. further increased by the rising sheer and flaring endsshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

For the purposes ot' longitudinal strength, diagonal braces have beenhitherto built into the sides; but when they have been laid in theconcave bilges of the ordinary form the curvature draws upon the boltsand loosens the fastenings before the braces themselves can be of muchuse. Attempts have also been made to apply them outside the timbers;buitthis manifestly interferes with the placing ct' the outer plankingor plates, and, moreover, does nothing to conform the length of thebrace to the direction ofthe strain.

IOO

2 e genera ,The vertical trusses or arched frames that are of service inriver-boats that are always upright are not only of little use when thevessel is heeled over in a seaway, but they are likely to becomeself-destructive when placed in an inclined position. In the form of'section shown in Fig. d the internal diagonal braces and arches, c andf, are built directly upon the straight immersed sides and bottom fromthe keel to the main deck, as shown in Fig. 3, and

all their parts, being` built practically in a right plane, offer adirect resistance to the strains they are intended to meet. A similararrangement of bracing is also applicable in the saine way withadvantage to the main deck.

f the internal arrangements and accessories, the vessel is fitted withlongitudinal and transverse bulk-heads around the engines and elsewherethroughout the hull, for strength and in anticipation of accidents, andfor the storage of freight and boats, and for other purposes, accesstothe compartments being had through internal doors and external ports,as may be required.

The main deck is represented in the drawings as a loft-y saloon iittedwith adouble row of rooms on each side,`and with an upper single tieropening on a gallery above.

The longitudinal bulk-heads or their extensions are framed to intersectwith the lower decks at the flat immersed sides of the vessel, as at xx,so that any external violence at those points will be transferred anddiifused horizontally and vertically as much as possible.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- .1. Avessel with the angular bottom a b and the main deck c at about thewater-line, constructed to form in cross-section a triangle ot' nearlystraight lines.

2. The construction of a vessel withthe immersed portion a b of atriangular form, and connected with bilges d d, rounded above the maindeck and `joined in the manner described.

3. The arrangement ofthe longitudinal bulkheads and the lower decks of avessel to con- Verge, in the manner described, to form togetherhorizontal and vertical braces to the flat immersed surface at thepoints do rc.

et. The combination ofthe straight sides and bottom a b and deck c of avessel with diagonal or arched braces c and f, substantially asdescribed.

aLoNZo r. BLIIVEN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. LANSING, WM. KEMBLE HALL.

